Login and Registration Issues

Why can't I login?

Make sure your username and password are correct. If they are, contact the forum administrator to make sure your account has not been banned or removed. It is also possible the website owner has a configuration error on their end, and they would need to fix it.

If you do not check the Remember me box when you log in, the forum will only keep you logged in for a preset time. This prevents misuse of your account by anyone else. To stay logged in, check the box during login. This is not recommended if you access the forum from a public computer, e.g. internet cafe etc.

Make sure your username and password are correct. If they are, then the forum requires new registrations to be activated before you can logon. You were sent an e-mail, please follow the instructions in the email to activate your account. If you did not receive an e-mail, you may have provided an incorrect e-mail address or the e-mail may have been picked up by a spam filer. If you are sure the e-mail address you provided is correct, try contacting the forum administrator.

Attempt to locate the e-mail sent to you when you first registered, check your username and password and try again. It is possible an administrator has deactivated or deleted your account for some reason. Also, many forums periodically remove users who have not posted for a long time to reduce the size of the database. If this has happened, try registering again and being more involved in discussions.

User Preferences and settings

How do I change my settings?

If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the forum database. To alter them, click on the My Profile link at the top of the forum page when you are logged in. You can then change your settings using the Edit Your Details link underneath the Personal Info Heading on the top left handside.

To upload an image for your avatar/profile picture: click on the My Profile link at the top of the forum page when you are logged in. You can then upload an image or choose from a default image by clicking on the My Avatar link underneath the Personal Info Heading on the top left handside. The max file size for an Avatar image is 2mb. Once you have uploaded or chosen your image click on Confirm Choice or Upload if you are using your own image.

Posting Issues

How do I post a topic in a forum?

To post a new topic in a forum, click the relevant button on either the forum or topic screens. Once in the relevant topic click the New Topic button to post a new topic in the forum. You need to register before you can post a message.

Some forums may be limited to certain users or groups. To view, read, post or perform another action you may need special permissions. Contact a moderator or the forum administrator to grant you access.

Smilies, or Emoticons, are small images which can be used to express a feeling using a short code, e.g. :) denotes happy, while :( denotes sad. The full list of emoticons can be seen in the posting form. Try not to overuse smilies, however, as they can quickly render a post unreadable and a moderator may edit them out or remove the post altogether.

Yes, images can be shown in your posts. If the administrator has allowed attachments, you may be able to upload the image to the forum. Otherwise, you must link to an image stored on a publicly accessible web server, e.g. http://www.example.com/my-picture.gif. You cannot link to pictures stored on your own PC (unless it is a publicly accessible webserver) nor images stored behind authentication mechanisms, e.g. hotmail or yahoo mailboxes, password protected sites, etc. To display the image use the appropriate button on the formatting toolbar which adds an [img] tag.

Sticky topics within the forum appear on top of other topics in a forum. They are often quite important so you should read them whenever possible. Topics are made sticky by Administrators and Moderators.

User Levels and Groups

What are Administrators?

Administrators are members assigned with the highest level of control over the entire forum. These members can control all facets of forum operation, including setting permissions, banning users, creating usergroups or moderators, etc., dependent upon the forum founder and what permissions he or she has given the other administrators. They may also have full moderator capabilities in all forums.

Moderators are individuals (or groups of individuals) who look after the forums from day to day. They have the authority to edit or delete posts and lock, unlock, move, delete topics in the forum they moderate. Generally, moderators are present to prevent users from going off-topic or posting abusive or offensive material.

Topic Subscriptions and Bookmarks

If you are a registered user, all your settings are stored in the forum database. To remove your subscriptions, click on the My Profile link at the top of the forum page when you are logged in. You can then change your settings using the My Subscribes link underneath the Forum Settings Heading on the top left handside. You can select the subscriptions that you wish to remove by selecting them and clicking on delete in the top right hand corner.